Severe abdominal dog bite wounds in a pregnant cat

Subcutaneous herniation of fetuses after blunt force trauma in a cat

Case summary

A stray female domestic shorthair cat was presented to the emergency service after being hit by a car. The patient was recumbent and vocalizing, with a small wound over the right lateral thorax, and two palpably firm swellings in the right cervical and thoracic soft tissues. The patient was sedated and humanely euthanized to prevent further pain and suffering. Post-mortem whole-body radiographs and subsequent necropsy revealed abdominal wall rupture with herniation of two near-term fetuses within the subcutaneous tissues along the right ventrolateral thoracic wall and neck. Within the abdomen, the right uterine horn was ruptured and a third extra-luminal fetus was identified. The left uterine horn remained intact, containing a fourth fetus.

Relevance and novel information

Rupture of the abdominal wall or diaphragm are well-known potential complications of blunt force trauma, such as motor vehicle accidents. While traumatic uterine rupture and diaphragmatic herniation of the gravid uterus have both been reported in the veterinary literature, abdominal wall rupture with subcutaneous fetal herniation is highly uncommon.

A 7-Year-Old Extrauterine Pregnancy in a Cat

This paper describes a 7-year-old extrauterine pregnancy in a spayed cat. Three extrauterine fetuses were accidentally found in the abdomen of a 12-year-old domestic short hair cat that had ovariohysterectomy about 7 years before. The animal was under evaluation for a recent history of increased thirst, urination, and poor appetite. Biochemical analysis revealed high plasmatic levels of urea, creatinine, and phosphorus consistent with renal insufficiency. X-ray plates showed three calcified fetuses in the abdomen, apparently unrelated to the reported clinical signs. Despite intensive therapy, the cat died one day later. At necropsy, ovaries and uterus were not found but the presence of three well-developed, mummified, and mineralized fetuses loosely attached to the omentum was evident. Careful dissection of fetuses confirmed the diagnosis of extrauterine pregnancy. To our knowledge, this is the first description of a 7-year lasting ectopic pregnancy in an ovariohysterectomized cat. The absence of related clinical signs seems to confirm that such conditions are compatible with a normal healthy life.

Enterocutaneous fistula as a result of chronic bite wound repair in a dog

A 6-year-old castrated male Maltese weighing 4.8 kg was presented with a non-healing wound exhibiting purulent discharge after surgery on scar tissue of a chronic twelve-month-old bite wound on the left caudal abdominal region. The dog had previously undergone four surgeries and had been on continuous antibiotic therapy for eight months. Following radiographic and ultrasonographic examinations, the problem was diagnosed as an enterocutaneous fistula of a herniated bowel loop under the skin. Surgical resection of the fistula involving the bowel loop resolved all symptoms.